David Wilson Homes has bought one of the largest remaining brownfield sites in the north west, at Chapelford, near Warrington.
The housebuilder has bought 227 acres (92ha) of the former RAF Burtonwood from Defence Estates for close to the asking price of £50m.
The site, close to the new Junction 8 of the M62 in Cheshire and known as Chapelford Urban Village, has outline planning for approximately 2,000 homes, and is one of the largest projects undertaken by the company’s parent, Wilson Bowden.
The scheme will also feature a school, a health centre, shops, offices and a railway station.
Warrington council granted planning permission for the final phase of the MoD’s 227-acre (92ha) brownfield site, in June.
The site was the largest military base in Europe during the Second World War. In the 1950s, it became home to the largest single-storey building in Europe.
The council expects the scheme to provide for its housing needs for the next ten years. David Wilson anticipates the project will take more than 10 years to complete.
Mike Stansfield, chief executive of David Wilson Homes, said: “The acquisition of this site, one of the last remaining large brownfield sites in the north of England and indeed the whole country, provides a significant opportunity.”
EGi News 16/12/02
